Two different ways

• May 23, 2017 - 06:57

I have been wondering this for awhile. I am not that good with notation, so i am not sure how these should be, so any help is welcome.

Musescore creates notation from MIDI file that looks different that what i would write, if i would write it myself. Here is a few examples:

This is how Musescore writes from MIDI file:
way2.JPG

This is how i would write the same thing:
way1.JPG

MIDI file
way11.JPG

And how i would write
way22.JPG

Only difference (that i can tell) is that the 8th notes sound longer than the staccato on quarter notes.

Also, this kind of rest ...

MIDI
This.png

How i would put
that.png

So, which are correct and which not?

Comments

• May 23, 2017 - 07:20

I'm French, so, my English.........
1st example the Swing, for me, fifty-fifty !!! : For the reader, sure the quarter note with a dot of the 3rd time 2ème ligne , and the quater note with the staccato point 4th time first ligne are better.

2nd example: sure the first ligne , the first measure of the 2nd ligne is "no-eatable"

3rd :first ligne is good, I never write an "Half whole rest" between 2nd and 3rd times of a measure in a 4/4 work, only to replace 1 and 2 times , or 3 and 4.

Here is only what I think, I'm am only an arrangeur.....

All that is for a better View, if you are looking for a better "audio" it's different.

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• May 23, 2017 - 07:29

They're both equivalent and thus technically correct notations.

It is however not uncommon to make the beats in a measure obvious even if your notes/rests cross them. The more weight a beat has, the more important it is for your sight readers to "get it" right at first play through.

Reasons for noting with less tied notes can be:
* visual clarity in some situations
* convey the rhythmic syncopic feeling of the melody

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• May 23, 2017 - 07:37

Thanks, this was helpful :)

I was actually thinking about the "visual clarity" cause for example the two quarter rests look clearer to me than one half rest ... but thats TO ME only. Like i said, i am not good with notation and i cant PLAY from notes, so my judgement is no good :)

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• May 23, 2017 - 19:55

Divide the (4/4) measure split in half by the imaginary line (like two 2/4 measures).
And try not to overflow this imaginary line, thinking like a true measure line.
There are some (or more) exceptions to this. But that's the general recommendation.
Your second and sixth examples are contrary to this proposition.
The fourth example is not wrong, but it's confusing.

Maybe I'd like to say something that most people would object:
Sometimes music is not read like it is written.
If you are writing for jazz, write as simple as possible. The musician knows (or understands) how to play.
If you are writing for playback (for software: with all articulations, correct note lengths, etc.), do not give that score to the musician.
The best is to write different scores for different situations.

I said Jazz, but the similar situation goes for classical music with a some exceptions:
There is a lot of difference between just playing the score as it is (mechanical) and playing it like a musician.
Sheet-music is just like a reminder. It describes music but not interpretation (musical performance).

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• May 24, 2017 - 08:59

Thank you sir. :) This was really helpful. I am still learning all this so all advices are welcome.

Talking about jazz ... the work that i have been doing for awhile now is transcribing 1950's jazzy songs. They are not pure jazz but done by jazz guys for "normal people", kind of thing. The problem was that because i didnt know anything about notation, i didnt have any other choice than try to write it exactly how i heard them. ... and believe me, listening to the MONO recordings from the 50's .... oh my.
I have read about early jazz players playing from the sheet so that some (classical) people though they were playing "wrong", so yes, i kind of though these pieces werent written like they were played, but like i said, i didnt have any other choice :/

But yeah, nobody is paying me to this and i dont have the money to ask someone to do this for me so, im out of luck.

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• May 23, 2017 - 20:42

To summarize:

Basically, MuseScore has it right in all cases :-). It is normally important to honor the imaginary line between beats two and three when writing rhythms in 4/4 time that involve subdivision - eighth notes or dotted quarters. You don't need to do this if you are only using quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes, so nothing wrong with quarter half quarter. But you can't start a dotted quarter on the "&" of 2 - that would cross the imaginary line.

Similarly, beams and rests are required by the conventions of notation to sit fully within the beats, so no beaming from the "&" of 3 into the 4 unless you are beaming 3 and 4 fully (all four eighth notes: 3 3& 4 4&) nor can you write a quarter rest starts on an "&".

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